Crappie Regs Changing at Some Lakes

JACKSON – The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) Fisheries Bureau announced a proposal to change crappie regulations on Arkabutla, Enid, Sardis, and Grenada Lakes, also known as the Flood Control Reservoirs (FCRs), and Eagle Lake.

The proposal for the FCRs will make the regulations uniform across all of the lakes.  The proposed rule consists of making the minimum length crappie that anglers can keep 12 inches, setting the daily creel limit to 15 fish per angler, and limiting the number of poles an angler can use to three.

In addition, boats with 3 or more anglers will be able to keep 40 crappie per boat.  Daily creel limits in the FCRs’ spillways, including Sardis Lower Lake, will be reduced to15 fish per angler.

“The proposed rules for the FCRs are intended to maintain our top-ranked, nationally recognized crappie fisheries”, said Larry Pugh, MDWFP Fisheries Bureau Director.   “Having the same regulations on all of these lakes will also simplify regulations for the anglers”, added Pugh.

On Eagle Lake, the proposed crappie rule will impose an 11-inch minimum length limit and reduce the daily creel limit to 30 fish per angler.  “The proposed rule will protect smaller fish from harvest and allow more fish to grow to a larger size”, said MDWFP Fisheries Biologist Jerry Brown.  The proposed rule change will be contingent upon Louisiana adopting the same regulation, and will be effective October 1, 2015.

Anyone wishing to comment on the proposed change may do so in writing to the Fisheries Bureau, MDWFP, 1505 Eastover Dr., Jackson, MS 39211, no later than June 21, 2015.

For more information regarding fishing in Mississippi, visit our website at www.mdwfp.com or call us at (601) 432-2212. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mdwfp or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MDWFPonline.